Padres right hand Dinelson Lamet made his expected debut in 2021 Wednesday against the Brewers, but it did not last long. Lamet left after two innings and 29 lanes with a forearm stiff.
Lamet has spent the past few months recovering from a UCL strain – an injury that prematurely ended his breakout 2020 season. Before Wednesday, he had not taken the hill for the Padres since September 25 last year. The hard-hitting Lamet finished last season with star numbers – a 2.09 ERA / 3.16 SIERA with a 34.8 percent elimination in 69 overs – and could help form an elite four alongside Yu Darvish, Blake Snell and Joe Musgrove if he can recover quickly and stay healthy for the rest of the season. Of course, it’s in the air now in light of Wednesday’s news.
If Lamet has to miss more time, it will be the second shot to the Padres’ starting depth this week. The team learned on Tuesday that it is left Adrian Morejon, which started the year in their rotation, is going to undergo Tommy John. Even without Lamet and Morejon, San Diego can still have a capable five-man starting lineup with Darvish, Snell, Musgrove, Chris Paddack and Ryan Weathers. However, there is no doubt that the Padres are a better team with a healthy Lamet, who finished fourth in the National League Cy Young votes in 2020.